Leapfrog Talking Pen 176
AndroidCat writes "Leapfrog has just announced their Fly pen computer for children. It talks, giving feedback as they write and draw, and with special Fly paper, you can draw a calculator, press the 'buttons' with the pen and it will read the answers. Cute, but is this a real working product? Let's see. If they included a 1 GB USB drive, it would be an interesting product for geeks too--just don't write fdisk. And remember to turn off the voice when making notes during meetings." Here's a picture of the device.
Too Much Technology (Score:5, Insightful)
Though the idea does sound pretty cool...
runs out and buys one
American or Canadian version? (Score:3, Insightful)
The novelty was worn pretty quick though, now it sits on top of the heap.
My complaint is that I want those talking items to have more Canadian versions.
So can I upgrade that pen's firmware?
How about some Canadian dialect eh?
And some more Canadian geography or history too?
We know more about America than our own country.
Regardless, LeapFrog sure is pumping out the product;
http://www.leapfrog.com/do/browseproduc
Making learning fun (Score:4, Insightful)
My stepdaughter (7) is a television junkie (thanks to idiot father, who has primary custody), and LeapPad is great for her because it's about the only way she'll voluntarily read the written word. LeapPad gives instant feedback and immediate gratification, which is a big plus for a child who doesn't have a lot of confidence in her reading skills.
Fortunately, my son (Just turned 2) dosen't need any incentive to read -- he just grabs a book and sits down on my lap until I read it to him. Even still, we have numerous Leapfrog toys which he plays with constantly; one of his favorites is a set of talking alphabet refrigerator magnets [amazon.com], which undoubtably contributed to him knowing the entire alphabet before he was two. A fun toy which reinforces the lessons you teach your kids is fantastic for a parent. (The important word here is REINFORCE. Don't expect a learning toy to teach your child for you while you sit on your ass watching pro wrestling.)
Not Enough Technology (Score:5, Insightful)
Nothing. This still happens. However, believe it or not, with improved technology comes possibilities for improved learning. Maybe with the right tools, kids can learn to read and write and calculate at earlier ages, when their brains are more pliable.
Then again, you probably think Kids shouldn't have pre-school, and they should just get shoved into a government run public school when they turn 5 or 6, and "that will learn them."
Just guessing.
Re:Not Enough Technology (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Not Enough Technology (Score:3, Insightful)
Seeing as how this product has not even been released yet, I find this statement patently absurd.
Or did you mean to imply that no technology is helpful in teaching students. That the book, invented thousands of years ago, is the highest mountain we can hope to reach in teaching aids?
Sheesh. Let me introduce some sense here where it is sorely needed: Any tool like this can help or hinder a student depending on how it is allowed to be used.
Giving a kid a book or this pen will do nothing without a teacher or parent helping them with it, in most cases.